Halloween gaining steam as a big-spending holiday

If you were a Halloween party this weekend, chances are you were dressed as a witch.

An estimated 3.9 million adults and 1.7 million children will don witches costumes for Halloween in the U.S., according to an annual survey from the National Retail Federation, a Washington, D.C.-based retail trade group. Another 3.8 million children are expected to dress as princesses. Vampires, monsters, pirates, Star Wars characters and action heroes are also forecast to be big sellers.

Halloween has been gaining steam for years as a big-spending holiday, and this year is no exception. U.S. consumers are expected to spend $3.29 billion on Halloween this year, up 5.4% from $3.12 billion in 2004, the NRF says.

Young adults age 18 to 24 are expected to fuel most of the gains, increasing their spending by 30% to an average $50.75 this year from an average $38.90 in 2004.

"We see more adults buying costumes this year than in the past," says Kizzie Johnson, manager at Party City in Chicago.

Courtland Hickey, manager at Chicago Costume in Lincoln Park, says the store is full of recent college graduates and young professionals who, in contrast to the national trend, are seeking out retro costumes: Wonder Woman, the 1980s new-wave band Devo, Gilligan and Skipper from Gilligan's Island and the skeleton jumpsuits from the 1984 movie Karate Kid.

"The costumes themselves are getting nicer and prices are going up as a result," says Mr. Hickey. The typical Halloween costume costs about $50 this year compared to $25 last year, he says.

The latest trend: Mr. Hickey received a flood of calls last week in search of a White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen mask. Mr. Hickey is attempting to get some simple cardboard cut-out masks of the World Series champion by this weekend.